CALIFORNIA STATUTES AND CODES
SECTIONS 77000-77013
GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 77000-77013
77000. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
Brown-Presley Trial Court Funding Act.
77001. The Judicial Council shall adopt rules which establish a
decentralized system of trial court management. These rules shall
ensure:
(a) Local authority and responsibility of trial courts to manage
day-to-day operations.
(b) Countywide administration of the trial courts.
(c) The authority and responsibility of trial courts to manage all
of the following, consistent with statute, rules of court, and
standards of judicial administration:
(1) Annual allocation of funding, including policies and
procedures about moving funding between functions or line items or
programs.
(2) Local personnel plans, including the promulgation of personnel
policies.
(3) Processes and procedures to improve court operations and
responsiveness to the public.
(4) The trial courts of each county shall establish the means of
selecting presiding judges, assistant presiding judges, executive
officers or court administrators, clerks of court, and jury
commissioners.
(d) Trial court input into the Judicial Council budget process.
(e) Equal access to justice throughout California utilizing
standard practices and procedures whenever feasible.
77001.5. On or before November 1, 2007, the Judicial Council shall
adopt, and shall report to the Legislature annually thereafter upon,
judicial administration standards and measures that promote the fair
and efficient administration of justice, including, but not limited
to, the following subjects:
(1) Providing equal access to courts and respectful treatment for
all court participants.
(2) Case processing, including the efficient use of judicial
resources.
(3) General court administration.
77002. As used in this chapter, "board" means the board of
supervisors of a county.
77003. (a) As used in this chapter, "court operations" means all of
the following:
(1) Salaries, benefits, and public agency retirement contributions
for superior court judges and for subordinate judicial officers. For
purposes of this paragraph, "subordinate judicial officers" includes
all commissioner or referee positions created prior to July 1, 1997,
including positions created in the municipal court prior to July 1,
1997, which thereafter became positions in the superior court as a
result of unification of the municipal and superior courts in a
county, and including those commissioner positions created pursuant
to former Sections 69904, 70141, 70141.9, 70142.11, 72607, 73794,
74841.5, and 74908; and includes any staff who provide direct support
to commissioners; but does not include commissioners or staff who
provide direct support to the commissioners whose positions were
created after July 1, 1997, unless approved by the Judicial Council,
subject to availability of funding.
(2) The salary, benefits, and public agency retirement
contributions for other court staff.
(3) Those marshals and sheriffs as the court deems necessary for
court operations.
(4) Court-appointed counsel in juvenile court dependency
proceedings and counsel appointed by the court to represent a minor
pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3150) of Part 2 of
Division 8 of the Family Code.
(5) Services and supplies relating to court operations.
(6) Collective bargaining under Sections 71630 and 71639.3 with
respect to court employees.
(7) Subject to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 77212,
actual indirect costs for county and city and county general services
attributable to court operations, but specifically excluding, but
not limited to, law library operations conducted by a trust pursuant
to statute; courthouse construction; district attorney services;
probation services; indigent criminal defense; grand jury expenses
and operations; and pretrial release services.
(8) Except as provided in subdivision (b), other matters listed as
court operations in Rule 10.810 of the California Rules of Court as
it read on January 1, 2007.
(b) However, "court operations" does not include collection
enhancements as defined in Rule 10.810 of the California Rules of
Court as it read on January 1, 2007.
77004. As used in this chapter, "option county" means a county
which has adopted the provisions of this chapter for the current
fiscal year.
77005. As used in this chapter, "state-mandated local program"
means any and all reimbursements owed or owing by operation of either
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution, or
Section 17561 of the Government Code, or both.
77006. As used in this chapter, "subordinate judicial officer"
means a court commissioner or referee authorized by statute.
77006.5. As used in this chapter, "trial court funding" means the
amount of state funds provided for the operation of the trial courts,
as defined in Section 77003, appropriated in the Budget Act, and
allocated or reallocated by the Judicial Council.
77007. As used in this chapter, "trial court" means a superior
court.
77008. As used in this chapter, "filing fees" means any and all
fees and charges, liberally construed, collected or collectible for
filing, processing, including service of process, copying, endorsing,
or for any other service related to court operations as defined in
Section 77003.
77009. (a) The Judicial Council may establish bank accounts for the
superior courts and require the courts to deposit moneys for trial
court operations, and any other moneys under the control of the
courts, into those accounts. Deposits to these accounts shall
include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Moneys appropriated in the Budget Act and allocated or
reallocated to the superior court by the Judicial Council.
(2) Moneys held in trust.
(3) Other moneys as deemed necessary or appropriate.
(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to payments from a party or a
defendant received by the superior court for any criminal fees,
fines, or forfeitures. However, the court and county may enter into a
contract for the court to provide depository services in an account
established by the Judicial Council for criminal fees, fines, and
forfeitures, with the approval of the Administrative Director of the
Courts. The contract shall identify the scope of service, method of
service delivery, term of agreement, anticipated service outcomes,
and the cost of the service. The amount of any indirect or overhead
costs shall be individually stated with the method of calculation of
the indirect or overhead costs.
(c) Moneys deposited into a bank account established pursuant to
subdivision (a) for the Trial Court Operations Fund that are
appropriated in the Budget Act and allocated or reallocated to the
superior court by the Judicial Council shall be payable only for the
purposes set forth in Sections 77003 and 77006.5, and for services
purchased by the court pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of
Section 77212.
(d) (1) All moneys received by a superior court from any source
for court operating and program purposes shall be deposited into a
bank account established pursuant to subdivision (a) and accounted
for in the Trial Court Operations Fund. Moneys that are received to
fulfill the requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 4250)
of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 and Division 14 (commencing with
Section 10000) of the Family Code shall be identified and maintained
in a separate account established in the fund for this purpose.
(2) All other moneys deposited into a bank account established
pursuant to subdivision (a) and accounted for in the Trial Court
Operations Fund that are received for purposes other than court
operations, as defined in Section 77003 and Rule 10.810 of the
California Rules of Court, shall be identified and maintained in
separate accounts in the fund.
(3) This subdivision shall not apply to either of the following:
(A) Moneys received by the courts pursuant to paragraph (2) of
subdivision (a) of this section and Section 68084, if those moneys
are not for court operating or program purposes.
(B) Payments from a party or a defendant received by the county
for any fees, fines, or forfeitures; moneys collected by the superior
court under Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600); or fees and
fines to which Section 68085.1 applies.
(e) The presiding judge of the superior court, or his or her
designee, shall authorize and direct all expenditures by the court
for operating and program purposes from any account established under
subdivision (b) or (c).
(f) The Judicial Council, in consultation with the Controller's
office, shall establish procedures to implement this section and to
provide for payment of trial court operations expenses, as described
in Sections 77003 and 77006.5, incurred on July 1, 1997, and
thereafter.
(g) (1) If the Judicial Council has not established bank accounts
pursuant to subdivision (a), the court shall contract with the county
for fiscal services. Each board of supervisors shall maintain in the
county treasury a Trial Court Operations Fund, which will operate as
an agency fund. All moneys appropriated in the Budget Act and
allocated and reallocated to the superior court in the county by the
Judicial Council shall be deposited into the fund.
(2) Moneys deposited into the fund that are appropriated for the
Trial Court Operations Fund in the Budget Act and allocated or
reallocated to the superior court by the Judicial Council shall be
payable only for the purposes set forth in Sections 77003 and
77006.5, and for services purchased by the court pursuant to
subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 77212. The presiding judge of the
superior court, or his or her designee, shall authorize and direct
expenditures from the fund and the county auditor-controller shall
make payments from the funds as directed. Approval of the board of
supervisors is not required for expenditure from this fund.
(3) All moneys received by a superior court from any source for
court operating and program purposes shall be deposited in the fund,
except as provided in this subdivision. Moneys that are received to
fulfill the requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 4250)
of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 and Division 14 (commencing with
Section 10000) of the Family Code shall be identified and maintained
in a separate account established in the fund for this purpose. All
other moneys that are received for purposes other than court
operations, as defined in Section 77003 and Rule 10.810 of the
California Rules of Court, shall be identified and maintained in one
or more separate accounts established in the fund pursuant to
procedures adopted by the Judicial Council. This subdivision shall
only apply to moneys received by the courts for operating and program
purposes. This subdivision shall not apply to either of the
following:
(A) Moneys received by the courts pursuant to Section 68084, if
those funds are not for court operating or program purposes.
(B) Payments from a party or a defendant received by the county
for any fees, fines, or forfeitures; moneys collected by the superior
court under Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600); or fees and
fines to which Section 68085.1 applies.
(4) Interest received by a county that is attributable to
investment of moneys, which interest is required by this subdivision
to be deposited in the superior court's fund, shall be deposited in
the fund and shall be used for trial court operations purposes.
(5) In no event shall interest be charged to the superior court's
fund, except as provided in Section 77009.1.
(6) Reasonable administrative expenses incurred by the county
associated with the operation of this fund shall be charged to the
superior court.
(7) A county, or city and county, may bill the superior court
within its jurisdiction for costs for services provided by the
county, or city and county, as described in Sections 77003 and 77212,
including indirect costs as described in paragraph (7) of
subdivision (a) of Section 77003 and Section 77212. The costs billed
by the county, or the city and the county, pursuant to this
subdivision shall not exceed the costs incurred by the county, or the
city and the county, of providing similar services to county
departments or special districts.
(8) Pursuant to Section 77206, the Controller, at the request of
the Legislature, may perform financial and fiscal compliance audits
of this fund. The Judicial Council or its representatives may perform
audits, reviews, and investigations of this fund wherever the
records may be located.
(h) The Judicial Council or its representatives may perform
audits, reviews, and investigations of superior court operations and
records wherever they may be located.
77009.1. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county
or city and county may, pursuant to this section, lend money to the
trial courts of that county to help the courts with cash-flow
problems or other emergency monetary needs. If a county lends a trial
court money pursuant to this section, it may charge interest at the
county pooled money investment account rate.
(b) A trial court may seek a loan of funds under this section only
after the Judicial Council has given notice of the loan to the
Department of Finance and has thereafter approved the loan.
(c) The Judicial Council shall adopt procedures and criteria
concerning any loans of funds pursuant to this section and may
delegate to the Administrative Director of the Courts the authority
to approve the loan.
(d) A trial court budget approved by the Judicial Council shall
not be increased as a result of a loan made pursuant to this section.
(e) A county or city and county shall not be compelled or required
to provide a loan to the trial courts of that county pursuant to
this section.
77012. As used in this chapter, "county" includes a city and
county.
77013. As used in this chapter, "Controller" means the State
Controller.